Browsing: History versus Hollywood

A Brief History On October 3 and 4 of 1993, US Army Special Forces known as Task Force Ranger fought Somali militia men in a frantic battle memorialized in the book (1999) and movie (2001) titled Black Hawk Down. Also known as the First Battle of Mogadishu (obviously more battles were fought there), this action resulted in 18 American soldiers killed and 73 wounded, as well as the death of a Malaysian and a Pakistani soldier allied with the US forces, and 9 of those allied soldiers wounded. This clash was the bloodiest battle US troops participated in since the…

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A Brief History Just as they have in the past, with a nod to Delphine LaLaurie of season 3 and the freaks featured in season 4, as well as season 5’s tribute to the Cecil Hotel, American Horror Story leans heavily on basing their current season (season 6) on the mystery of the Roanoke Colony and throwing in a real life pair of serial killers, Gwendolyn Graham and Cathy Wood, who are depicted in the second episode of the season in their nurse outfits murdering an old woman and painting a letter “M” on the wall, just as the real…

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A Brief History On this Independence Day we would like to acknowledge the important role firearms and guns of all types have played in the formation of and preservation of the United States.  Especially with the 1996 movie, Independence Day and the 2016 sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence,  we also recognize the prominent role firearms and weapons have played in Hollywood movies and television productions.  On June 27, 2016, Shooting Illustrated, an NRA affiliated publication, published a list of “Top Ten Guns of American Pop Culture” giving us inspiration for making our own list. Digging Deeper 10.  Take Down Sniper Rifle.…

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A Brief History Based on the British equivalent of the real life Amityville Horror referred to as the Enfield Poltergeist, the major motion picture The Conjuring 2 is set to open on Friday, June 10, 2016. Digging Deeper Having seen an advance screening (“screaming?”) of the film, we can assure ghost movie buffs of a solid treat with high production value. The casting, acting, and special effects are up to high industry standards, and the serious attempt to portray much of what happened during the real events in a run down section of Enfield, England from 1977 to 1979 give…

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A Brief History On January 14, 2005, the big budget Hollywood film, Alexander, starring Colin Farrell in the title role made its debut in Italy, after having opened previously in November of 2004 in the U.S.  A lavish film with a budget of $155 million, the film was successful in that its box office worldwide was over $167 million, but was it real history or just Hollywood? Digging Deeper Released in the original theatrical form, DVD versions were later released as “Director’s Cut,” “Final Cut,” and “Ultimate Cut” giving movie and history buffs an opportunity to sample different versions of…

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